The Dead Shall Rise Again: Zombies in Film

Zombie fixes for the junkie on video and DVD

By Andrew Hershberger     March 17, 2002

March is crazy with zombies! Smacking it down in the theaters is Paul Anderson's RESIDENT EVIL, which in spite of its videogame origin is winning the praise like a hooker wins the clap. Additionally, Elite Entertainment (www.elitedisc.com) just dished out the "definitive" DVD version of that old standby, and still the best, undead carnivore classic, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - packed with more extras and perks than zombies at a Pennsylvania shopping mall. All this has got the old killer cadaver craving poking up it's ugly head, and the cure is a quick fix at the video store, where you'll score other zombies pictures to feed the frenzy, satiating the hunger. For the newbie, here are a few suggestions to shoot up on.

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LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE (1974)
Director: Jorge Grau

Experimental pest removal equipment emits a sonic noise that kills the bugs but reanimates the humans, and as they say, "You can't reanimate a corpse and not expect it to crave raw human flesh." Starts off like NOTLD but quickly develops its own style and speed. Gruesome, gory and damn creepy, you'll be freaking out for more undead by the end of the film. Released on DVD in a mega awesome presentation by Anchor Bay, featuring one of the most unsettling animated menus ever.

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)

Director: Dan O'Bannon

The quintessential '80s zombie flick is just so damn rocking you'd marry it if ya could. Bumbling warehouse employees accidentally unleash a gas that reanimates corpses that don't take kindly to a blow on the head - make that they don't take to it at all. Funny, ferocious and firmly fantastic (with a killer cut by the Cramps on the soundtrack), the film turns the rather innocent noun "brains" into a threat. One of many highlights in the film: the punk rocker turned naked zombie named Trash - played by the naked scream queen Linnea Quigley. Not yet available on DVD and the VHS is long out of print, but MGM is said to have something special on the horizon. (Which makes this suggestion more of a tease, ha ha!)

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CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972)
Director: Bob Clark

PORKY'S scribe Bob Clark tried his hand at this genre with "smack your female dog ass up" results. Bunch of obnoxious theater kids do a satanic ritual to raise the dead and it doesn't work, at least they don't stick around long enough to find out. No problem: their new undead friends will make sure they don't stick around at all. A low budget horror rip-off that delivers the goods. The VCI Home Video DVD version looks like crap.

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CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980)
Director: Lucio Fulci

Priest hangs himself, unleashing hordes of the living dead onto hack actors Christopher George and Catriona MacColl. Exceptionally gory Fulci film is at turns maddeningly inept, genuinely horrifying, and in some scenes, such as when George tries to free a girl from a casket with a pickaxe, both. Does its job overall and will have you unnerved for days afterwards. The DVD is available from Anchor Bay and gets a hearty thumbs-severed-off.

WHITE ZOMBIE (1932)
Director: Victor Halperin



Fans of Bela Lugosi will be in heaven as the actor chews the scenery like the ham he is. Starring as the "evil" Haitian plantation owner Legendre, the world's best bloodsucker is contracted by an obsessed young man to make his friend's fiancée his own bride. Be careful what you wish for, for Legendre's interference turns the lovely lady into an emotionless shell. Highly engaging film is definitely a case of style over substance, but what a style. Best viewed on dark windy nights, if you dare. Roan Entertainment group, through Troma Entertainment, has released a damn fine version on DVD with a healthy collection of extras. Also, look for the kick-ass 12-inch action figure of Lugosi's Legendre character from Sideshow Toy!

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ZOMBI HOLOCAUST (1979)
Director: Marino Girolami

Mad Scientist is turning cannibals into zombies (?). A group from New York (a frequent stop in Italian zombie flicks) led by Ian McCulloch (is there an Italian horror film he's not in?) heads down to some tropical island (always a tropical island, why is that?) to investigate a rash of murders in Manhattan. Dry at first but once the latex severing FX kick in, you'll be so covered in blood you won't care. Make sure you locate the full ZOMBI HOLOCAUST version and not the truncated, but more readily available, DR. BUTCHER MD. Hold off on renting this one till Media Blasters' Shriek Show line releases their DVD; it will be worth it.



ZOMBIE LAKE (1980)
Director: Jean Rollin

Talented director Rollin put together one lousy piece of zombie crap certain to knock even the most fanatical flesh eater fan out cold, unless copious nudity is enough distraction. (IT IS!) Nazi zombies with green faces harass a small French town. Ludicrous sub-plot has good Nazi zombie reuniting with daughter who is around the age of 12 (which is quite young considering these zombies are from 1945 at latest and the town is apparently in the midst of the late '70s - that's some slow-acting seed from Zombie dad.) Not fun, but there is the naked swimmer crotch shots to consider. (I see you've already got the car keys and video rental card in hand.) Image Entertainment's DVD, part of their Euroshock line, is the sweetest way to see this.

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DEAD & BURIED (1981)
Director: Gary Sherman

Co-written by Dan O'Bannon, this zombie tale screams E.C. homage and thankfully does the job right. Transients through a small town wind up dead one day and alive and kicking the next. The local sheriff notices something is amiss and starts an investigation. Featuring a kick ass performance by character actor Jack Albertson and some damn fine chills. Sadly unavailable on DVD; somebody, anybody, please change this!

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1981)
Director: Bruno Mattei

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Chemical results in zombie infestation and an unlucky SWAT team just happens to be there. Featuring the most pathetic forgetting of the "shot them in the head" rule since David Warbeck lost track of that plot point in THE BEYOND. Essentially god awful with piss poor comic relief, the film is not without its "tongue being ripped out of the face" charm. Does have the guts (?) to show a kid being gunned down at point blank range. Anchor Bay has released a nice little DVD version. Known by a million other titles so refer to IMDB if you're unsure if you've seen it.